A Quarter-Million Good Deeds Pledged in Honor of September 11th

The sixth anniversary of September 11th was a day of remembrance and a day of action. This year over a quarter-million good deeds from around the world were posted on www.myGoodDeed.org to honor all who died on September 11, 2001, with 125,000 good deeds posted on September 11, 2007 alone. As many as five million people were believed to have participated in observing September 11th as a day of charitable service.

Good deeds ranged from purchasing school supplies for a family on welfare, assembling care packages for soldiers overseas to rescuing turtles that crossed the road. One person donated one of his kidneys to a stranger, as part of a series of transplant surgeries to help a seriously ill September 11th rescue worker. Good deeds were posted from all 50 states and the “my Good Deed” site had visitors from more than 150 different countries. “The number and variety of this year’s myGoodDeed pledges were remarkable,” said David Paine, founder and president of myGoodDeed Inc. “Transforming September 11th into a national day of voluntary service is a wonderful way to acknowledge the significance and impact of the events of that day in our nation’s history in a constructive way.”

In New York City on September 11th, as part of the myGoodDeed campaign organized by New York Cares, 95 volunteers from five different companies – Citi Group, Morgan Stanley, Jones Apparel Group, MTV, State Street Bank and Senator Clinton’s NYC staff – painted murals and revitalized the playground, garden and other outdoor areas at PS145, an elementary school that serves 700 students, of which 89 percent receive free lunches.

“We encourage people to continue their good deeds throughout the year to help their neighbors and community,” said Jay Winuk, who founded myGoodDeed with Paine following the death of his brother, attorney and volunteer firefighter Glenn Winuk, who perished in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. “We can all do something to help others in need.”

MyGoodDeed is a non-profit grassroots initiative created with the support of September 11th family, volunteer and survivor member groups. It encourages individuals and organizations to perform good deeds and charitable service as a long-term way to remember and honor the victims, survivors, residents, volunteers and rescue and recovery workers of September 11th.